Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for November 2023.

Delta Passenger Unleashes On Seat Recline Critic Behind Her

by Gary Leff

Nov 05 2023

A Delta Air Lines passenger reclined her seat, and the woman behind her – she says – began pushing her seat back throughout the rest of the flight. In response, she didn’t ask for help from a flight attendant. Instead she began yelling at the woman behind her. And another passenger caught it on video.

The passengers behind the woman denied pushing her seat and that just drove the her to the brink, unleashing a tirade defending her right to recline. The battle had gone on silently until she just couldn’t take it anymore at the end of the flight.

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How American Airlines Pilots Took Down The Austin Focus City

by Gary Leff

Nov 05 2023

The airline is required under its pilot deal to have 85% of its regional flying in and out of hubs (defined as the legacy American Airlines hubs, plus airports where they operate 100 or more flights). Austin isn’t a 100-plus flight city. American runs a peak of 78 flights (low 50s on Saturdays, 60s on Tuesday and Wednesday). They don’t have the gate space for more than that, and even if they did that would likely mean more losses. So Austin regional flying to non-hub cities falls under the pilot contract 15% of total regional flying cap.

American isn’t allowed to build an operation which doesn’t support mainline pilot union jobs, and given passenger demand and gate limitations in Austin that means they aren’t allowed to build an Austin focus city as they’ve been doing.

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Why Airlines Make You Gate Check Bags When There’s Still Overhead Bin Space Free

by Gary Leff

overhead bin
Nov 04 2023

One of the most common complaints I see about airlines in social media, paired with photos, is overhead bins with plenty of space after a passenger is forced to check their carry-on bag because, the gate agent had said, ‘the bins were full’.

This is frustrating for customers, who aren’t just inconvenienced (separated from their belongings, they have to wait at baggage claim – and risk getting lost). It’s also perplexing. Why was the gate agent lying to us? The reason is actually simple.

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Major Indicator of Economic Downturn: FedEx Pilots Being Told To Leave For American Airlines

by Gary Leff

cockpit with pilot
Nov 03 2023

FedEx pilot crews have been told that – despite the national pilot shortage – they are overstaffed, because air cargo demand is down. Pilots are receiving minimum hours only, for the most part, and they expect that to remain “for the foreseeable future.” This is an industry-wide issue.

As a result, the shipping company is telling its pilots to go work for American Airlines through one of their regional airlines.

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Exposed: The Backroom Deal That Just Crushed LA’s Homeless-Hotel Initiative And Handed A Union Power

by Gary Leff

Nov 03 2023

A Los Angeles ballot measure which would have required hotels to house the homeless was revealed to be a strategic ploy by the union representing hotel housekeepers to negotiate labor terms. Ultimately, a deal was struck to circumvent voters, imposing new regulations on hotel development rather than enforcing the homeless accommodation mandate.

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